Telegraph key



Jan. 11, 1949. M, HAYMAN; 2,459,027

TELEGRAPH KEY Filed June 7, 1945 2'SheetsSheet 2 4 i? a? 3 w 1 72 9 36 66 JNVENTOR.

43 5 5,, fiAPLfS /7 HAY/VAN A TTU/PNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1949 NIiTiEJD .-.;.-2,459.;027 TELEGRAPH KEY CharlesiM.iliayman nrnnklvmiNazi. I -.Ap.plication..lu ne 7, 19.45,,,senamqzzsiismss- L7 Claims.

The inventionrelates in general ,to a manually ,actuated'circuit' closer of the compound 'levei type i designed for rapidly closing 'and"openi ng" one; or two. electric circuits for use wherever such :cir-

.cuits are used, and the .invention spe'cificallyrelatesto an improvement. intelegraph "oretrans- ..mi tting keys used in the transmissionjof signals .',l1i ;11id.edin a two wireor three wire; alarm system.

The primary object'of the-invention, is. to pro- .videan improved and. simplified form"-of'j'cir.cuit

' closer of. the class described.

.Theinvention featuresin a new for,m'of,,,telegraph key a systempf.levers operating between '.,the manually. depressed". finger ,piece.".and;j the .1 ..electric. contacts controlling, the circuithand which levers. are disposed. in overlapping. ,re1ation; .,to economize in space disposition, and; interco nected toeiiect a quick and positive-actuation of the contactsboth in their contacting and iniitheir separating action and toefiect a, prolongjedjtimer dwell inthe inter-engagement. or. the corltacts after contact is made.

Various .other. objects and advantagesliofgthe invention will-be in part obvious, from .aninspec- 1 tion of the accompanying drawings. and-.in .part

will be more fully .set fortnin the. .io1lowing.narticular. description .of one Iorm Qof. teleg-faphlgey I embodying. the. invention and ;.the.. inventioni also .-..consists incertain new. andenovel features, of

construction and... combination. of,..,.parts...-.hereinafter set forthand claimed.

;-In the, accompanying. draw n s,

.Eig. lis aplan viewwhich may. beiIIus'trative of.,..either the. Fig, 2,.ori' Fig. 4" Iorm...'of.j;the

.invention,

Fig- 2 and Fig. 3..are views in.sideielevation one. embodiment of the. invention when utilized ..inv connectionwith either oneof two,,externa1 circuits controlled thereby;

.- Fig. 2.sho,wing .thepartswith thecontrol Key. in-

.,its. normal elevated inoperative position andLat -.Which time, a,first circuitis .open anda second circuit .closed whenthe. mainsilpp y switchis .closed,

Fig. 3 showing the relation QOffthQ- llartsgwiththe .controlkey depressedunder manual loadand with theifirst circuit.closed andIthQSBcOIldiicir- .cuit open "Rig. 4 is a view similar tothe showing' of'fiig.

j 3 i another form ofgtheinvention-particularlydesigned ,to control a single external and'normially open circuit; 'and Fig. 5 is a detailzpartly-in sectionofthe'swinging bracket particularly illustratingthefligsi 2- form of the invention.

1 I! cesseseprovided thereforin -the insulating plate 9. Located on top of the baseatiits forwarcbend u andsecuredthereto'is aj flat -bea l n late I5 rprovided with avpair -of upstanding-;parallek-semi -ieircular' cheelg plates I 6- and I 1*-"and:-between I 7h whichis mounted a"fiat;cylindriQal-stainless-steel roller -bearing"-I journalleddoivfree'rotary" movement on pin 9 wextenjding "between the-cheek iplates. WThe-tundem'side Of'jthE'E-IJZSG beneath .the -roller-bearing is recessed "astshownfiatf*2 0 and a screw-:2 I extendsithrough therecessand bymeans of ainut fl in the irecessus-secured inplace and acts as a birid-ingt;screw:tot-'secure theretmran -"el'ectriclead 23 forming part iofi the *circuit-"controlled-by the instrument.

A fixedbase contact 24 is secured to'the base 9 and-support" I 0- aujacentf-ther rear end 25 by ascretv-ingfit on to the-gupper end-o 'a qlongecnew "F2B-passed through the base ins ed therefrom bya sleev' '9 3- and -washer 9 4W0 insnlating ma- %terial. Screw-26 is*secnred "in place by a birrcling -:"--nut- 2!v located within a recess 28--forn ed:-.-on-rthe i undersidebfthesupport I 0; l i Screws. Galszrforms a" bind-ing screw *for'connecting the companion lead 129 --to the base contact *2 4.

Adong--rugged-key bar -30' is pivoted-interme- 1" diate -its' lengthon a*-*fu1crum-' pin *3 I- carriedby wthesupport l -I at itsupper end-and? is disposed to --extend *from iront torear ofthe base I 0. The -key 'bar isprovided"-at-itsforward-endrwlth a "depressibl finger piecewz *wh-icheprojects ierwardly of the -adva-nced end I 4--'-of"-the baser--and in general this part ofthexkey bar is of' convenf ztional'? design. "-""The portion 3 3" or?- the' leey' flaar betweenithefulcrunrpirr =3 lsand-thiiinger plece 32" will beweierred to hereinafter as a' leverr' of if"the "'second""class fb8Ga11S"'bOth "its poweri arm andtits work. arm are on the same side of i the i,;fulcrun i 3 I The-lever 33' is-providedata-point 7 "much nearer the fulcrumapiri W I t-han' the finger iypiecefit with a 'swinging bracket it pivoted to The ibrackety fl forms" the fulcrummortion" of a=movable-contaot levenfifi'g the forward-portion 'ofwh'ich constitutes a 'rel'ativelyshortarm tormat all -times under "load having its lower end seated in a recess 38 provided therefor in the stop lever 36 as best shown in Fig. 5. A stop adjusting screw 39 is threaded through the lever arm 33 and acts to limit the upward swing or the contact lever 36 and acts to-control' thetime duration while contact 42. engages contact 24. Lock nut Ml secures the screw 39 in its adjusted position.

The portion of the movable contact lever which extends .rearwardlyv from thestoplever 36 is in the form of alongflatspringfl which extends frearwardlythrough and past the support II and terminates at its rear end in a movable or float in g contact i2-disposed in position whenlowered iromtheposition shown in Fig. 2 into the position shown in Figs. 3,and 4 to bear resiliently on the fixed base contact 24. The contacts 24,

90 and- 42 are. preferably formed of coin silver and the conductive parts are for the most part formedof brass. c I

A flexible braided conductor 43 has one end connectedntothe terminal plate 95 in electric contact with lever 35. and has its other end secured to the bearing plate l5 by means of the screw 2! in the Figs. 2 and 3 device and by a separate screw lfi in the Fig. 4 device.

. In Fig, 4 aslightly different form of connectionf betwe'en. the" lever 35 and conductor 43 is provided. In'this case the insulation plates 9i and 92 are omitted and theforward end of ."lever 35' is in direct electric contact with lever 36. The rear end of lever 36 is in turn connected to the upper end of conductor 43 by means of a screw 44,.

' At its rear end the key bar 30 is provided with a Spacing screw which bears on top of a wear block 41 screwedinto the base 9 to locate the key-bar in its normal horizontal positionas shown in Fig. 2 and thuslto define the position assumed by the key bar under tension of spring 37, when free ofthe manual load onthe, finger piece- 32. Likewise thekey bar. is provided with an adjustable contact screw 48 equipped at its lower-endwith a contact 96 for limiting the upwardtswing of the movablecontact 42 as it retreats o-r bounces away'fromthe fixed contact 24. 1 The disclosure particularly features the distance. advantage developed by the compound lever arrangement shown for translating a short manualmovement of the finger piece 32 into a long sweeping movement of the contact. 42.

Referring firstto the power lever it is intended that its power are be longasindicated by the 1 K distance abas shown in 4 measured from the fulcrum 3! to the loci offinger pressures on the"fi ngerfpiece 32. and its work arm is intended to be relatively short as indicated by the distance a-c measured between the fulcrums 35 and 3!.

Referring to .the second lever 35'. its power arm ce .measures from the; lever pin 35 to the slightly shitting point at which the stop lever 36 engages the roller bearing l8 which forms the shiftable fulcrum about which the movable con- .tact lever swings. The work arm is relatively.

long as indicated by the distance d--e between the roller bearing 18 at any instant of time and the wiping contact 42. The distance advantage may therefore be indicated as the product of the distances It is particularly noted that the movement of the finger piece 32 over a relatively short arc of and '. movement causes the movable contact 42 to move vided bythe fulcrum pin 3!.

over a very much longer are of movement in the 2' .same time interval as it shifts to and from its .fixed companion.

H movement has the efiect of snapping the lever wards the right from the position shown in Fig.

2. The right end of the movable contact lever 36 being resisted from downward movement by the roller'bearing l8 causes the fiat spring 4| forming the free end of lever 35 to slap the movable contact 42 into engagement with the fiat top of the fixed contact 24. As the lever 35' thus swings from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown either in Fig. 3 or 4, it also tends to shift slightly towards the rollerbearing .in the direction of its own length and which movement is facilitated due to the fact that the "roller bearing is free to turn clockwise at this stage of the operation. The left to right movement of the lever M as contact is made causes the top or movable contact 42 to wipe slightly from left to right across the top of the base r the depression of the finger piece 32 as above described, the long flat spring 4| may bend or are downwardly between its end supports it and 24 "and is thus placed under tension during the instant of time the contacts are in engagement. This means that as soon as the load is released on the finger piece the flat spring in its tendency to recover itself shifts slightly from right to left thus wiping the moveable contact 42 across the face of the fixed contact 24 while the contacts arestill in current transmitting relation.

Releasing pressure on the finger piece permits compression spring 31 to react between the key bar 30 and the moveable contact lever 36 to depress its right end and elevate its left end, thus snappin the moveable contact 42 away from its (companion 24, and this movement continues until stopped by the contact 96 of the adjusting screw 48 and the parts are then restored to their set initial position shown in Fig. 2. The parts are then in position ready for the next actuationof the key.

vertical plane. 1 a

7 contact is actuated by the depression of the finger piece, said key bar,"stop lever, roller bearing and movable and fixed contacts being disposed in a 2. In a circuit closer, the combination of -two levers in parallel superposed relation, the upper lever forming a key bar and constituting a lever of the second class-fulcrumed at one end and provided with a fingerpiece at the opposite end, the second lever being of the thirdclass' pivoted intermediate its ends to a point of-the key bar between its fulcrum and its finger=piece endg-said about which the second lever swings =wh'en the finger piece is actuated and a fixed contact 'disposed in the path of movement of=the movable contact and engaged thereby on thedepression of the finger piece to eifect the status of acircuit through the two contacts. I

3. The structure definedin claim 2 in which the long arm of the second lever is a flat spring.

4. The structure defined in claim 2 in which a; compression spring reacting between the'key bar and the short arm of the second lever maintains the short arm in engagement-with the fixed stop and tends to return the key bar to its elevated normally inoperative circuit breaking position. 1;

5. The structure defined in claim 2 and in which the key bar is provided with adjustable stops for limiting its swinging movement in both directions.

5. The structure defined in claim 2 and in. which the key bar is provided with-an adjustable stop limiting the movement of'the movable contact in its direction away from the fixed contact.

'7. In a key controlled circuit clos'er;"the"combination of a pair of coasting contacts, one being fixed and the other movable, a floating lever on one end of which the movable contact is carried, a second lever aboveand parallelingthe first lever provided atone end with a finger piece, and a fixed member which constitutes a fulcrum for the other end of the floating lever, said floating lever being free to slide over the fixed-member, a pivotal connection between the levers located materially closer to the fixed memberthan to the movable contact, a spring reacting between the two levers biased to maintain the floating lever at all times in bearing engagement with the fixed member and to elevatethe finger piece; said pivotal connection interconnecting the levers-to provide a distance advantage for causing :a' sweeping movement of the movable contact over a relatively long are of movement. into its circuit. closing engagement with the fixedcontact by virtue of a movement of the finger piece over a relatively short are of movement.

w 1 8. An electric circuit closer including a fixed and a movable contact, means for effecting a quick engagement and disengagement of the contacts at will, said means, including a system of interconnected levers, one fulcrumed to. turn about a fixed axis and forming a pivoted keyzbar provided at one end with a finger piece for actuating the same and the other fulcrumedtoturn about an axis fixed to the; key barv between its fulcrum and its finger piece end thereof,.the por tion of said other lever between its-contactand its connection with the first named lever being flexible so as to be bendable by the continued action of the first lever after, the contacts have been brought into engagement ,-thereby,-,the, ful-' for the finger piece lever a longer power arm than work arm, and for the other movable contact lever ashor'ter power arm than work arm thereby 'to cause-the system to provide a distance advantage whereby a. slight movement of the finger piece will; cause a materially longer movement of the movable contact into a wiping engagement with its companion.

'9.-In a 'device of the class described, the com- -zbination-of' a pair of interconnected levers in superposed relation, the upper lever forming a flever of the second class and having a relatively "long power arm provided at one of its ends with and a relatively short work arm, both arms being manually energized means for actuating the same "onthe same'side of the fulcrum, the lower lever being a'lever of the third class having a relatively short'power arm and a relatively long work end of the work arm of the upper lever coinciding arm at least a portion of which is flexible, one

with'one end of the power arm of the lower lever 'and'pivotally connected, a movable contact carried by one'end of' the long work arm of the lower lever, a fixed stop disposed in the path of move- 5 ment of th'e other end forming a fulcrum for the lower'lever and a fixed contact disposed in the path ofmovement of the movable contact and said upper lever acting after the contacts have inter-engaged -to bend the flexible portion of the I lower lever.

-- -'-10; In a telegraph key for transmitting signals in accordance with a code employing a variable number ofdots, the combination of a base, a

'fixedicontact carried'by the base, a fixed stop carried by the base, a first lever having a movable contact on onearm thereof for fixedly engaging the fixed contact and its other arm slidably ent-gaging the fixed stop asa shiftable fulcrum aboutwhich it rocks, and a second lever overfixed stop, ,the fulcrums of said levers being in longitudinally spaced apart relation and said secondlever provided at one end thereof with a finger piece for maintaining the contacts in .-=their circuit closing position so long as the finger piece .is disposed in its circuit closing position.

1- .11. In a device of the class described, the comubination'of a base, a support upstanding from .the 'base, an actuating lever fulcrumed to the support, a contact lever underlapping the actu- =-ating lever, :abracket pivoted to the actuating lever'and depending therefrom, said contact lever including a flat spring secured at one end to the bracket and having a floating contact rigidly ,fixed toits other end, a fixed contact carried by the-base and disposed in the path of movement of the floating contact, said fixed and floating ment ofothe contact lever at its bracket end, a

spring reacting between the actuating lever and l the contact lever for maintaining the bracket .end of the contact lever at all times in firm bearing engagement with the stop irrespective of the position of the floating contact and biased to move the floating contact away from its associ- .l ated fixed contact and'into its normal breaking i position when permittedto do so by the elevation wofithessactuating.lever in a direction away from r the fulcrum forming stop.

12. In a' device oi' the classdescribedfthe combination of a base, a support carried by the-base,-

at key lever: pivoted adjacent itsi midleng-thi to? the support; and; provided. at one: endf withr at finger 121668, 9): contact carried bythe'key-leverad-j aeerit its? other end: andshiftable therewith, a fixe'di'con tacticarriedaby, the base and located oppositeltlie shiftable contact, a second lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to the key lever and provided at one end with a floating contact for engaging selectively the shiftable contact when moved in one direction and for engaging the fixed contact when moved in the opposite direction, a stop carried by the base and engaged by the end of the second lever opposite the end provided with the floating contact to lower the same from the shiftable contact to the fixed contact whenever the finger piece is depressed and means reacting between the contact lever and the key lever tending to maintain its finger piece end in elevated position.

13. In a device of the class described, the com bination of a support, two levers superposedin parallel relation, the upper lever fulcrumed to the support and provided at its forward end with a depressible finger piece, the lower lever pivoted to, supported from, and thus fulcrumed to the upper lever between its fulcrum and its finger piece, the lower lever having a relatively, short arm extending forwardly of its fulcrum and a relatively long rearwardly extending arm, a stop disposed in the path of movement of the relatively short arm to rock the same on the depression of the finger piece, said rearwardly extending arm provided at its rear end with a floating contact forming the movable element of a circuit closer, a relatively fixed contact of said circuit closer disposed in the path of movement of the movable contact element, a spring reacting between the levers and biased when free of manual load on the finger piece to elevate the movable contact element away from the fixed contact element'and reacting through the short arm to elevate the forward end of the upper lever into its normal elevated position, the upper lever provided with an adjustable member engaged by the floating contact when elevated into engagement therewith by the spring affected elevation of the finger piece end of the upper lever.

14. In a telegraph key, the combination of a support, a key lever pivoted to the support, a second lever pivoted to the key lever and provided at one end with a double faced contact movable in one direction by the depression of the key lever and movable in the opposite direction by the elevation of the key lever, a pair of contacts, one being fixed and engaged by the double faced contact when moving in one direction and the other carried by the key lever and engaged by the double faced contact when moving in the opposite direction.

15. A telegraph key for sending a sequence of controlled dots and dashes, including a support, a contact fixed to the support, a co-acting floating contact above the fixed contact, manual actuated means for moving the floating contact positively into and from its circuit closing engagement with the fixed contact and for controlling the time lapse in which the floating contact is held in such circuit closing position, said means including a key bar pivoted to the support for rocking movement about a fixed axis, a contact lever pivoted intermediate its length to the key bar in offset relation to its fulcrum and including a flexible portion having a free end, the floating contact beingfixe'd tot the free end of. theflexible portionandla stop disposedin the 'path of move ment of the" other end of the contact, lever and on which it is freeaa slide whereby on'the de pression of theliey'bar the contact/lever swings about the st'op as at fulcrum, first to" bring the floating contact downwardly intobea'ring engagement with the fixed contact and thereafter on the continued depression of the key bar to bend the flexible portion of the contact lever in the part thereof between the key bar and the floating contact engaging the fixedcontact, to hold the floating contact to the fixed contact so long as g the key bar is so held depressed.

16. In a telegraph key of the type used to send dot and dash code, such as the Morse code, the combination of a base unit formed of conductive material including a base member and an upstanding fulcrum support, a second unit formed of conductive material, secured to the base unit on one side of the support andinsulated therefrom and'including a bearing plate carrying a fulcrum forming bearing and a binding post eleclever of conductive metal underlapping the key bar and secured to the depending bracket to turn therewith, withone end of the second lever at all times in bearing engagement with the bearing plate fulcrum and provided at its other end with a floating contact shiftable by the swinging of the levers between the fixed contact and the shiftable contact, and a flexible conductor electrically connecting'the second unit with the second lever. 17. In a telegraph key, the combination of a unit formed of conductive material including a base member provided with a first bindingpost and with an upstanding fulcrum support, a fulcrum-forming bearing secured to the base member and insulated therefrom, a second binding post carried by the base member insulated therefrom and connected mechanically and electrically to the bearing, a fixed contact and associated third binding post carried by the base member and insulated therefrom, a key bar provided with a finger piece at one end, fulcrumed adjacent its mid length to the fulcrum support and provided on one side thereof and opposite the fixed contact with a shiftable contact and on the other side of the support with a swinging bracket pivoted thereto, a second lever having a portion adjacent one end secured to the bracket, one end of the second lever overlapping and engaging the bearing as a fulcrum, a flexible conductor electrically connecting the second lever with the bearing plate and its associated binding post, a floating contact carried by the other end of the second lever shiftable by the actuation of the key bar from the fixed contact to the shiftable contact and operable in one position engaging the fixed contact to complete the circuit from the fixed contact through the second lever to the bearing plate and its associated binding post and in another position engaging the shiftable contact to complete the current from the bearing and its associated binding post through the second lever through a portion of the key bar to the base member and its associated binding post. 2 v v Number CHARLES M. HAYll/IANI 373 152 1 826,403 REFERENCES CITED 1,042,490 The following references are of record in the 1,547,215 2,325,631

file of this patent:

12 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Oakes Novl 15, 1887 Campbell July 17, 1906 Skinner Oct. 29,1912 Hallborg July 28, 1925 Pinelli Aug. 3, 1943 

